By popular request... a new forum for oldtimers of all ages. (F'instance -- hard to believe -- but there was a time not all that long ago when downtown Glen Ellyn had but one restaurant!)

I miss Coca Cola when it was made with real sugar and came in a glass bottle. I think in Hawaii you can still get Coke made with cane sugar vs. corn syrup.

Well, okaaaay... Perhaps that could bring us to 5¢ Cokes at Webb's Pharmacy -- now Craig's. The soda fountain is long gone, of course. Cherry Cokes, chocolate phosphates... 6¢.

OK...not to stray off topic...but you can buy Coke with real sugar and in a glass bottle at any Mexican market...or the Wayne General store.

I have a few memories left in my head of cherry phosphates at the ice cream/soda bar at Webb's. They also had the best floats (the type you drive) in the 4th of July parade with exploding things and candy cannons.

Those just a wee bit younger than myself might only remember the Yankee Doodle Dandy restaurant, as it was about the most popular hangout for the jr. high and h.s. crowd. I bet the owner/manager had a love/hate relationship with that crowd.

My recollection of JH hangouts includes the Dairy Queen (or whatever it was) on Crescent, just west of Western Ave. We'd often stop in for a cone in the spring when walking home from the new and unnamed -- now Hadley -- Jr. High.

One night in the late 50's the place had a gas leak and blowed up real good into a bazillion pieces. Pretty exciting. It was just across the street from where -- a couple of decades later -- a freight train loaded with hazardous chemicals ran off the tracks and onto Crescent. Much of northern G.E. had to be evacuated.

And they call it "Dull Ellyn." Hey -- every 20 or 30 years something happens!

OH- my husband grew up near Hadley and when the train de-railed, he rode his bike down to see what happened...probably explains a few things since it was hazardous materials!

To this day you can still see the newer brickwork on the rightmost red entrance wall at the apartments where the freight engine plowed through on its way to rest in or on the swimming pool. That was a big day, with everyone north of Hillside being evacuated. Anhydrous amonia is not something you'd want to take even one deep breath of.

My sister's ex-boyfriend woke us up that morning by throwing stones against the bedroom windows. A train wreck in GE - nope - that wasn't possible. And what a mess that was. Didn't one of the engineers die? Train was doing something close to a gizzilion MPH around the turn. Yup, that day we were in national news.

My recollection of JH hangouts includes the Dairy Queen (or whatever it was) on Crescent, just west of Western Ave.
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How far back do you have to go to remember when Crescent intersected Western? Was that before the railroad, Ted?

Duh. Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania.

I urge you with the memories to keep this thread alive! It is great reading...

And Ted, any more old pictures you could post?

How about Prince Castle (later **** Robin) and the lunch counter at Woolworths ... two other long time Glen Ellyn find dining institutions?

I used to get a large glass of ice tea at Woolworths and (with no parental supervision) add about a cup of sugar. AAH ... the good old days before we knew any better!

Lifetime:

Is your Avatar who I think it is?

quote:

...later **** Robin...

This automatic electronic high-tech naughty word censor thingie cracks me up.

quote:

Originally posted by lifetimege:
How about Prince Castle (later **** Robin) and the lunch counter at Woolworths ... two other long time Glen Ellyn find dining institutions?

I used to get a large glass of ice tea at Woolworths and (with no parental supervision) add about a cup of sugar. AAH ... the good old days before we knew any better!

Yes ... it's you know who. Your bro-in-law has joined.

???

I just wanted to know whether or not that was an original Steffie.


"Steffie's Awesome!"

You can also get sugar cane cola at Trader Joe's (aptly named Cane Cola). Makes rum & cokes taste just like they did down in Mexico.

I have memories in the way back of my head of waiting on tables at Tiffany's...no clue when that was. All I know is that Tiffany's served ice cream and after that little experiment I vowed I would never work with ice cream again...no matter what. Never have liked it all that much...with the exception of the burnt caramel gelato at Francesca's. Now that **** is good.

Also, I have fond memories from 11+ years ago when we bought our house on Glen Ellyn Place of how our street was covered with asphalt. Now 1/3 of it has huge-*** holes in it and every time it rains more of it ends up in the GW parking lot.

*Sigh* Those were the days.

Here's a contest:
That picture Ted posted, where was it taken from?